


Amends

by koinekid



Series: Making Amends [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Apologies, F/M, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Regret, Theft, apologizing, making amends, past mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 21:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17536274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koinekid/pseuds/koinekid
Summary: Eighteen seeks forgiveness from a woman she wronged.





	Amends

**Author's Note:**

> Rights to Dragonball and related properties are held by their respective owners. No infringement is implied or intended.

The house in the mountains would have been easy to find even if she had never been there. To her shame, she had.

While on a mission to murder a sick man in cold blood, Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen found his home empty and abandoned. Not only did they trash the place, but to add insult to injury, Eighteen also raided his wife's wardrobe. She needed to rid herself of that hideous western wear she'd been saddled with since damaging her own clothes in a fight. Most of the woman's clothing followed a style Eighteen wouldn't be caught dead in, but a box in the back of the closet contained a suitable outfit: a tee shirt, vest, and honest-to-goodness blue jeans. Not the most fashionable clothes, but she made do, snatching up a pair of gloves, boots, and a few other items as well. That the boots fit was almost a miracle. What were the odds she would share a shoe size with the soon-to-be widow?

That was months ago, and to say a lot had changed since then would be an understatement.

Eighteen's heart pounded as she approached the front door and raised a shaky hand to knock. She almost dropped the package beneath her arm when she heard sounds coming from inside. Her instincts kicked into gear, and she was about to burst through the door and defend Goku's widow from whatever threat reared its head. It was the least she could do.

But upon listening closer, she recognized the source of the shouting had likely been the woman herself because the laughter of a child soon followed. Ordinary domestic sounds, then, not unlike those of Kame House when she got into a row with the old man and the pig, and Krillin inevitably failed to hold in his laughter.

Thinking of the little guy made her smile. Krillin was the reason she was alive today and, ultimately, the reason she took it upon herself to make this visit. She remembered well his actions on the day they met. After watching her dispatch four of his allies singlehandedly, he stood up to her and her companions. Quaking in his boots, he pleaded for them to spare Goku's life. They refused, of course, and their subsequent search for him led them to his house.

Eighteen didn't care what anyone said. Standing up to them while hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed was a true act of bravery—unlike the foolhardy rush-in-and-damn-the-consequences actions of his friends.

That bravery—combined with his later compassion in sparing her life and selfless wish to remove the bomb from her chest—led her to seek him out when she needed a place to stay. She could've easily found accommodations elsewhere, fought her conscience and returned to a life of crime long enough to rob a few banks and be set for life. But she wanted to be near him, if for no other reason than to find out what made the man tick.

And she was grateful that she had. In five short months of living with Krillin and his roommates, she learned more about her humanity than she thought possible. Most wonderfully of all, she discovered that she  _wanted_  to be human again. It might not be possible to physically return to her pre-cyborg state or to regain her lost memories, but in all other ways, she longed to exemplify humanity. For such a task, she could ask for no better role model than Krillin. Nor, she suspected, a better friend.

Her thoughts were derailed by the door opening. She clutched the package to her chest and, in a moment of wild panic, nearly took off and took flight.

But wavering in indecision slowed her, and before she could flee, she found herself face-to-face with a twelve-year-old who could easily wipe her from existence.

Gohan grinned as soon as he saw her, then remembering his manners, politely bowed. "Hi, Miss Eighteen. What are you doing here? Did Krillin come with you?"

Eighteen squirmed. "No, I came alone."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed.

The corner of her lips rose in a half smirk. She tried not to take his remarks personally.

Realizing the implication of his words, the boy apologized profusely. She shook her head and was about to explain the reason for her visit when a booming female voice came from inside the house.

"Gohan, hurry up! I want to start supper soon."

"Yes, mom," he called. "We have a visitor."

"Oh, who is it?"

Eighteen's mouth went dry waiting for the boy's mother to arrive. Gohan noticed her unease and smiled in sympathy.

The woman who appeared at the door had entered the late stages of pregnancy. Krillin mentioned Goku's widow was with child when he died, but seeing in with her own eyes increased Eighteen's shame. Her only solace was that she and her companions hadn't been directly responsible for Goku's death. If they were, she doubted redemption would be possible.

Eighteen searched the woman's face for the emotions she expected: anger, shock, hate. What she found was more akin to curiosity.

Chi-Chi smiled. "I wondered when I would receive a visit from you. Won't you come in?"

Nodding, Eighteen followed the woman inside. Gohan too started to follow, but his mother sent him back out with strict orders not to return until he caught a fish from the nearby stream for their supper.

Eighteen entered the kitchen cautiously, irrationally expecting to find the room in disarray, drawers broken, cabinetry torn from the walls, appliances smashed. That was foolish. There had been plenty of time to repair the damage she and her companions left in their wake. Everything was neat and tidy, even more so than Kame House, which was remarkably well maintained despite being the abode of three bachelors and one bachelorette who knew next to nothing about housework.

Chi-Chi ushered her to the table and proceeded to the oven to make tea. Eighteen rose and asked to do that for her. She could probably make tea. She watched Krillin do it often enough. But Chi-Chi waved her off.

"Don't worry about the pregnant lady. I cooked a five-course meal the morning before I gave birth to Gohan."

"That's—"

"Impressive, I know, but with a husband who had an appetite like Goku's, I couldn't afford any downtime."

Eighteen frowned. "Your husband—the way Krillin talks about him, he sounds like a good man."

Chi-Chi smiled. "He was— _is_. He's still training in the afterlife. When I see him, I'll give him a piece of my mind for staying away so long."

"You expect to see him again?"

"If not in this life, the next."

"Mrs. Son, I'm—I'm sorry for—"

"It's  _Chi-Chi_ , and save it for when the tea is finished."

Eighteen sat, contrite. She couldn't even apologize properly.

"Would you like a snack to go with your tea?"

"No, that's—"

Chi-Chi retrieved a packet of chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies from one of the cabinets.

Eighteen blinked. "Maybe just a couple."

"A woman after my own heart." Chi-Chi added the cookies to her serving tray. "Don't mention these to Gohan. I wouldn't want him finding them and spoiling his dinner."

Eighteen nodded.

"So, how are things on the island? I hear you're sleeping in Goku's old room."

"I am? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, only so many bedrooms in that tiny place. And living with Roshi and Oolong?"

"It can be trying," Eighteen admitted. "I've had to set very strict boundaries."

"Good for you. You give those two a centimeter, and they'll take all kinds of liberties."

"Tell me about it. I once found the pig posing as my hairbrush while the old man hid under my bed."

"I'm surprised how great our fellows turned out to be growing up in that environment." Chi-Chi turned off the burner and brought the tea and cookies to the table. "Goku was completely clueless. I had to teach that man so much during our first year of marriage." She laughed, oblivious to Eighteen's discomfort. "But Krillin could have become a world-class pervert if he didn't have a good head on his shoulders. And a good heart."

Eighteen smiled. "He does, the best."

"Are you and he…?"

"No, of course not. We're just friends."

"Too bad. If I hadn't met Goku…" Chi-Chi smiled wistfully.

Eighteen said nothing, but her lips compressed into a thin line.

Chi-Chi raised her teacup to hide an even bigger smile. "Don't worry. That ship has sailed. If you ever decide you want to be more than friends with a certain little man, you'll have the support of one of his friends for sure. I'll even give you a few pointers on landing him."

Eighteen could feel the heat pooling in her cheeks. "Th-thanks."

"That's not what you're here to discuss, though, is it? Go ahead, I'm listening."

Eighteen had rehearsed the words a dozen times, but given the chance to say them, they caught in her throat. How do you apologize for invading a person's home and threatening her loved ones? Chi-Chi sipped her tea and took a bite from her cookie, calmly waiting for the blonde to speak.

"I—I—here!" Eighteen offered the package she'd brought with her to the older woman.

Puzzled, Chi-Chi set down her tea and opened the box. Inside, she found a freshly laundered vest, tee shirt, and blue jeans and a pair of gold hoop earrings. "Are these for me?"

Eighteen nodded. "I hope I did all right washing them. I've never done laundry before. I practiced on some of Krillin's things. He wasn't happy." She thought she could still smell the faint aroma of Cell's digestive juices on the clothing, but Krillin—once he got over her shrinking  _his_  clothes—told her she was imagining things.

"Um, thank you. They're very nice."

"They're…yours."

"Thank you," Chi-Chi said again. "But you didn't need to get me anything just to pay a visit."

"I—I stole them from you when I was...here last."

"Oh." Her eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh, I remember now. These were a gift from Bulma. She was trying to"—Chi-Chi made air quotes—" _drag me into the modern era_. I thought I threw them out."

Eighteen sighed. Her plan to make amends wasn't going nearly as well as she had hoped.

"Thanks for returning them. That's awfully considerate of you."

"Actually, that's not all." Eighteen hoped to avoid this last gesture, but her conscience—buoyed by Chi-Chi's lackluster response to the return of her clothing—would not be denied.  _See, see?_ it demanded. Eighteen reached into her pocket. "There's something else I have to give back."

She held up the item, and Chi-Chi gasped.

* * *

 

Through the years, Eighteen and her brother shoplifted, then stole, millions of zeni worth of jewelry. At first, she wore the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Later, they sold their ill-gotten gain. She felt bad in the vague sense of having done something she knew was wrong, but she got over it, reasoning that they weren't stealing from the clerks personally. Most of the stores they pilfered from were large chains that expected to lose merchandise, even budgeted for it. Shrinkage, they called it.

But the pearls were a different story. She knew exactly who she'd stolen them from—the woman sitting across from her.

After rummaging through Chi-Chi's closet, Eighteen noticed a jewelry box atop the dresser. Since she planned to kill the woman's husband and was in the process of stealing her clothes, adding a few trinkets to the haul seemed like no big deal.

The hoop earrings were a nice find, and she quickly affixed them to her ears. When she opened one of the box's lower drawers, she gasped. The pearls inside were exquisite. They called to her, and without conscious thought, she clasped them about her neck.

They didn't match the rest of the outfit at all, but gazing at herself in the mirror, she felt…well, ladylike. She imagined herself in fine restaurants and ballrooms and considered for the first time in a long while that there might be more to life than crime and mayhem.

Her brother barged in a moment later and broke the spell.

"You ready? Sixteen is getting antsy."

She glared at him. "Fine, let's go."

"Are you wearing jewelry?"

"Shut up, Seventeen."

In the months the pearls were in her possession, Eighteen grew to love them. She never told Krillin where they came from, and when he complimented her on them, it felt like a dagger going through her heart. Whenever Gohan visited the island, she avoided him for fear he would recognize the pearls and call her out on her theft.

Returning them would have been easier if she could have found a replacement set for herself. For months, she scoured department stores and jewelers but always found fault with the sets they had for sale. The pearls were the wrong size or color or too unevenly spaced, or the clasp was wrong.

Chi-Chi's pearls were one-of-a-kind, and no matter how hard Eighteen resisted, her conscience would not be ignored. She had to return them.

Sometimes, the quest to regain your humanity sucked.

* * *

 

Chi-Chi held out her hand, and swallowing hard, Eighteen relinquished the necklace.

"You stole my pearls? I thought you might have, but why?"

Eighteen lowered her eyes. Explaining how the pearls made her feel would ring hollow. "I saw them, and I wanted them."

Anger flashed in Chi-Chi's eyes. "That's supposed to make it right?"

"No," Eighteen said. "Nothing I did here was right. I have no excuse for any of the crimes I committed against your family." Taking a deep breath, she stood and did something she doubted she would ever repeat: she formally bowed to a person she had wronged. "I'm sorry for the pain I cause you, and I humbly beg your forgiveness."

"Sit, sit," Chi-Chi urged, embarrassed. "Krillin said that you were brainwashed to go after Goku. Is that right?"

"Programmed."

"I don't know what to call it, but if you weren't in control of your actions, you aren't responsible for them."

"But I  _was_  in control. I could have disobeyed those orders. Doctor Gero was dead, but I still pursued your husband and would have killed him if given the chance."

Chi-Chi sat for a while, absorbing that. Eighteen remained in respectful silence, prepared to accept any invectives the woman wished to unload on her.

"If Goku were sitting here right now, what would you do?"

"Apologize," Eighteen whispered. "Ask for forgiveness. I'd still have the drive to kill him, but I'd fight it with every ounce of my being."

"So, you don't  _want_  to kill my husband anymore?"

"I don't want to kill anyone!"

A sad smile crossed Chi-Chi's face. "Do you know what Goku would do if he were here?"

Eighteen shook her head. There was no telling.

"He would pretend none of it ever happened, probably forget it  _did_  happen. Goku would forgive you, and since he isn't here, I'm forgiving you in his place."

A single tear rolled down Eighteen's cheek. "Thank you."

Chi-Chi chewed on her lip, then reached for Eighteen's hand. Resisting the urge to pull away, Eighteen allowed the woman to open her hand and lay the pearls in her palm."

"What are you doing? These—"

"Were never my style, and I bet they look wonderful on you."

"I can't accept these."

"You can, and you will. Accepting them is a condition of my forgiveness." She patted the box containing the laundered outfit. "Returning these is enough."

"But, I don't deserve—"

"I'm  _very_  stubborn, Eighteen. If you're going to be my friend, you'll have to get used to that."

A disbelieving smile covered her face. "You want to be my friend?"

"Us girls have to stick together. Besides, do you know how many female friends I have? One, and as much as I love Bulma, I could use another. What do you say?"

"I'd like that." Eighteen's eyes drifted down to the pearls. "Are you sure?"

"I can tell how much they mean to you and how difficult it was to give them back."

"Out of everything I ever stole, they're my favorite." She blushed. "That's a horrible thing to say, isn't it?"

"Horrible but honest. May I?" Chi-Chi indicated that Eighteen should stand, hand her the pearls, and turn around.

Fighting against instinct, the deadly cyborg turned her back on a potential enemy and let the widow of the man she was programmed to kill place the pearls around her neck. She felt the woman's pregnant belly press gently against her back.

"There," Chi-Chi said. "Now they're not stolen. They're a gift from a friend."

Eighteen turned back. "I'll treasure them."

"I know." Chi-Chi wiped a tear out of her own eye. "Now that that's taken care of, will you stay for dinner?"

Eighteen considered it. "I'd better not. It's Krillin's turn to cook, and he promised to make my favorite."

"Oh, what's your favorite?"

"I don't know, but I'm curious to see what he thinks it is."

Both women shared a laugh before Chi-Chi walked Eighteen out. Standing in the doorway, they spotted Gohan approaching in the distance, a trout bigger than he was slung over his shoulder.

"Will you come for dinner tomorrow?" Chi-Chi said. "And I warn you, the only acceptable answer is  _yes_."

"All right."

"And bring Krillin. Gohan misses him."

Eighteen smirked, recalling her brief conversation with the boy earlier. "Thanks, Chi-Chi. I'm sure Krillin will agree."

Gohan reached the door as she was taking her leave of his mother. Eighteen gave the kid a respectful nod like he was an adult. He always appreciated that. Then with a wave, she rose into the sky, feeling altogether lighter than when she arrived. Raising a hand to touch her pearls, she smiled at her new friend, and flew away.

* * *

 

"Mom?" Gohan's voice brought Chi-Chi out of her reverie.

"Hmm? What is it, sweetie?"

"Was Miss Eighteen wearing Grandma's pearls?"

Chi-Chi ruffled her son's hair affectionately. "A friend gave Eighteen those pearls. I lost Grandma's a long time ago."

Gohan nodded, accepting her words at face value.

"Now, get inside. I need to clean that fish, and I want you in bed right after supper."

"But, Mom!"

"No buts. We're having dinner guests tomorrow, and I'm sending you shopping first thing. We need beef and rice and peppers…onions—why aren't you writing this down? Oh, and candles. Nothing like romantic lighting to get two people in the mood for love." Chi-Chi rubbed her hands together and laughed wickedly. "I'll have those two walking down the aisle in no time."

As his mother disappeared into the house, still talking to herself, Gohan shook his head. Context might provide some clue as to exactly what his mother was talking about. On the other hand, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"Gohan!"

"C-coming, Mom."


End file.
